Month: October 2017

Why is Water Important?

According to the USGS, up to 60% of an adult human consists of water. It is crucial for life of all shapes and sizes, and without it you will die. Unfortunately, too many people do not recognize the importance of consistent clean drinking water, especially when they are out hiking or camping. This is something I had to be reminded of myself (the hard way), and it is a mistake I will never ever repeat.

In this post, I will go over exactly why it is crucial to have water with you while you are out in the wild and how you can get it in the event of an emergency or if you run out.

Please note, this information is simply based on my experiences and does not constitute advice from a professional.

How to Get Clean Drinking Water

Having water with you whilst hiking is crucial, but what happens if you have taken all the right steps and something unforeseen happened? Unfortunately, the unforeseen is an everyday part of being in the wilderness, which means you need to prepare for it.

One of the best ways to be prepared for a water shortage is to know how to properly collect and sanitize natural water. Before we get into this section, I want to point out that you should never drink water from ponds, rivers, or any other natural source without sanitizing it first.

Water Filters

Years ago this would not be a viable solution for water purification while mobile, but times and technology have changed. Portable water filters are now high-quality enough to be reliable in the outdoors as a means of water purification, which makes things a lot easier for us. Some great brands are Berkey (which has a portable model) and LifeStraw, which is made for the outdoors. You can check out a Berkey water filter review here and read more about the LifeStraw on Bear Grylls site.

Traditional Purification

Before miniaturized water filters were invented, outdoorsmen had to rely on traditional methods of water purification. The most common way is to get a fire going, collect your water in a pot or similar container, then heat it until it boils. The heat will kill the bacteria and other pollutants, and should make it safe to drink. Another common way also involves filtering, but using natural means, such as sand and silt. This is a less common technique, but one I plan on covering in a future post since I find it extremely interesting and potentially useful.

Signs of Dehydration

Before we wrap this post up, I wanted to quickly touch on a few symptoms of dehydration that I think it is important to keep in mind whilst hiking or camping. Bear in mind this is not an inclusive list (link to one down below).

Headache

Dizziness

Dry mouth

Dark urine

Decreased blood pressure

and more

Above are a few of the symptoms to keep an eye out for while you are out in the wild. Additionally, here is a link to check out if you are interested in seeing a more comprehensive list: E Medicine.

Justin is an avid outdoorsman and hiker. He loves exploring new places, reaching new heights (literally and spiritually), and meeting all sorts of new people. He has been around the world, but currently calls Colorado home. He loves blogging about his adventures, giving tips, and talking about outdoor gear.

My First Cross-Country Backpacking Trip

In June of 2017, myself and two of my friends from college decided to embark on an adventure across Europe. We decided to plot our course going by the best hiking mountains in the area, and would visit places such as Spain, France, Switzerland and more. Our travels would bring us into contact with people of every background, and was one of the best and most eye-opening experiences I have ever had.

In this post I will be going over our trip in more detail, and discussing some of my favorite moments from the adventure. Of course, we will also be talking about outdoor equipment, travel guides, and much more.

Stay tuned to the blog as this will be an ongoing and extensive series on our adventures, starting with the first stop; Spain.

Justin is an avid outdoorsman and hiker. He loves exploring new places, reaching new heights (literally and spiritually), and meeting all sorts of new people. He has been around the world, but currently calls Colorado home. He loves blogging about his adventures, giving tips, and talking about outdoor gear.

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About Justin

About Justin

Who am I?

My name is Justin and I’m the author of this blog! Since I was 5 I have always loved everything about the outdoors. From the feeling of adventure to the sense of freedom you get climbing a new peak, being outside is my hobby and my passion. I hope to share some of that passion with you here in this blog.

We will be going over everything from stories about my travels to tips about the outdoors I’ve picked up along the way and so much more. I hope you stick around leave me a comment if you like what I’m putting out!

Justin is an avid outdoorsman and hiker. He loves exploring new places, reaching new heights (literally and spiritually), and meeting all sorts of new people. He has been around the world, but currently calls Colorado home. He loves blogging about his adventures, giving tips, and talking about outdoor gear.